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This site is my online journal that documents my attempts to reach various goals inspired by the principles found in the book, Think and Grow Rich. Join me as I strive to meet financial goals, fashion goals, school goals, hair-care goals, and everything in between. I hope that other young women will relate and find my journey useful to read about; this blog is for me as much as it is for women seeking resources for personal development and freedom. To get a daily dose, follow me on twitter and facebook...and don't forget to follow my blog!

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

April Length Check + a Word on Protective Styling

At first, I thought the day would never come when I would wear protective styles. An ardent lover of the afro since the beginning of my natural days, I had since resigned that "hidden hair" was simply not for me. When I finally did bite the bullet and agree to start wearing protective styles, I did so begrudgingly as I thought the day would never come where I actually liked it.

Thank God I'm a terrible psychic, because that day has come: I am totally in love with my protective styling! Why the sudden change of heart? Allow me to present the evidence...

From November 2009 Hair

Here I was back in November 2009 with my very unhappy hair. As I mentioned when I first posted this picture, my love for wearing my hair "out" had caused me to slip into a state of unapologetic negligence. I forgot to moisturize my hair for days. I slept on cotton pillowcases without covering my hair up for bed. I used the blow dryer constantly to stretch out my roots. My hair was dry with frail ends and virtually no length retention. As you can see by my face I was a very unhappy camper.

Fast forward to February, I had finally gotten the hang of my hair regimen and started to wear protective styles as a way keep my hair from drying out in the harsh winter air.

From February 2010 Protective Styles

From February 2010 Protective Styles

From February 2010 Protective Styles

By this time, I had my routine down pat. Usually on Sunday or Monday, I would wash my hair, put it in twist and pin it, then wear it like that all the way until Friday, where I would take the twist out and rock it curly for the weekend. Come Sunday, I'd do it all over again.

Just this past Easter, however, I noticed something peculiar. Upon taking my hair down so that I could wear it "out" for church, I was really shocked at how my hair looked.

From April Hair (in Philadelphia!)

From April Hair (in Philadelphia!)


From April Hair (in Philadelphia!

Never before had my hair sat at that length in its curly state! I decided to do some investigating...


Before

From April 2010 Length Check
After


Before

From April 2010 Length Check
After

In six months I went from just below shoulder length to armpit length with protective styling. And I never thought I'd see the day...

11 comments:

  1. Beautiful Growth! Good for you! :)

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  2. Indeed protective styles are our friends lol. Your hair is growing beautifully =)

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  3. Wow! Your growth is great! (weird statement to make... but you know what I mean!)

    I just BC'd (this past Saturday) so I have a LONG ways to go to get my length back. I've already began thinking I would two-strand twist during for the week and rock a fro on the weekends, and you've post reinforced my decision to do this!

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  4. Wow your growth looks at least 3 inches. thats awesome! I am on my 7th month natural. At first my hair was too short for protective styling so I did wash and gos but I just started PS from M-F 2 weeks ago and fros on weekends and I love it. Also, its fun to miss your hair and see it on weekends! great job!

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  5. Wow COURT! <3's it! Your hair is so gorgeous! I need to get on that! Tell us your secrets on hair care!

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  6. Great inspiration! Both styles look good on you. I've been transitioning since July 09 and I'm deathly afraid of the BC so I recently cut 3 inches of relaxed ends off. I keep hearing protective styles are the way to go but I cant get with it...especially for work. But I want my hair to grow back! I need some tips from you!

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  7. Thanks, this post was right on time. I did the BC in December and I'm ready for the day with length that I can protect. You gave me something to look forward to.

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  8. You have given me hope! I was so anti-protective hair until I started to notice that may hair wasn't growing as much as it was when I stopped relaxing it... even my non-black friends who were like "Dang J... your hair stopped growing" and it was breaking off... :( but it was super cute.

    After reading your blog post about protective styles I decided to give it a try. It took a minute for me to find a way to wear the twists without looking/feeling like a slave child (LOL) but now I am having fun with it!!

    Thanks so much! :D

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  9. Great progress! I love your blog. I think you go to my school, because you def. look familiar.

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  10. I'm super motivated by this post and have started protective styling!

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  11. That's craziness! You've only been natural for that time and your hair grew that much?!

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